Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-02-03
ENTRIKIN'S EXTRAVAGANCE.

What 1t Has Cost the County for
Fruitless and Unjustifiable Prosecu-
tiOns-There Is no Justice In Perse-
cution.
The acquittal of Keeping and Mills OF
the charge of horse stealing after two trials,
occupying five days in its final hearing,
clearly demonstrates not only the useless
ness and injustice of the present grand Jury
system, but the extravagsnt methods
of the present prosecuting attor-
ney. At the September term of the circuit
court Keeping and Mills we're tried for
having on August last, stolen $50
horse from the Vanatta family at Buffalo
Prairie. After the case had occupied
several days, and most OF the witnesses
had been examined. it was developed on
the stand that the horse alleged to
have been stolen was the property
of Ida Belle Vanatta, whereas
it was set forth in the indictment as be
longing to James Vanatta The case fell
through immediately, but from the evi>
dence up to that time submitted, it was
apparent that the prisoners at the bar
could not be convicted of stealing the
horse. They may have dore it, but En-
trikin failed TO show to the jury that they
had.
Mr.. Entrkiu. however, insisted that
the defendants should be held over to
the next term Of court, and they were
again committed to jail He drew up
an indictment charging the same defends
ants with stealing the horse from Ida
Belle Vanatta, and the grand jury indict>
ed them They were tried, the trial com
menoing last Thursday, ending Tuesday,
and every body knows the result Keeping
and Mills were acquitted, the county
sunk 81 600 in trying to send them to the
penitentiary, and got nothing out of It.
As another illustration of unjustitiable
indictment and prosecution the Roberts
son case tried last year may be men ton
cd There was nothing to warrant the
charge of Mr.. Robertson having murder
ed Hans Zimmerman at the poor farm.
Yet the old gentleman was obliged to
stand the disgrace and shame.
The states attorneys Office is not es-
tablished for the purpose Of persecution,
aud every man that comes before the
grand jury charged with crime is not
necessarily guilty. The defendant who has
no hearing before a grand jury may after
wards fully establish his innocence before
a Jury where he has an opportunity TO con-
front his prosecutors, and prosecutors, if
there be any. The states attorney, look
ing after the interests OF the state, should
not become prosecutor. A mere pre-
ponderauce of evidence rendering gull
probable, is not sufficient to warrant con
| viction, and the aid of additional counsel to
attempt to establish complete chain
ofevidence which the states attorney i:
able TO complete, is neither justice to the
people nor to the defendant, Entrikil
has conducted many fruitless prosecu
tions, resulting IN immense expense Il
the public, great scandal upon apparent.
I innocent persons, and reproach upon tn
administration Of public justice.
Chairman Bowman, of the board OF su
pervisors, and Supervisor Hollister, VIII,
is chairman of the finance committee O
{ that body, will meet tomorrow to consider
the propriety of the states attorney hir
. ing additional legal talent for useles
{ prosecution at the county's expense